Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/824646
VOL. 54 ISSUE 19 MAY 19, 2017 P121 though, there's a kind of servo effect on the lever, which means you must grab it decisively with a full hand to achieve proper stop- ping power during the second half of the pull. Do that, and the brakes work well, and can be modulated controllably. But equally as impressive as the brakes on the Street Rod is the High Output Revolution X motor which, in spite of a slightly muted exhaust note, is stirring and responsive in use, with a completely linear and very smooth power delivery; there is no undue vibration at any revs, even approaching the soft-action nine grand revlimiter. Though far from being a traditional Harley slugger of a motor, indeed, it's the most eager-revving power- plant in Harley's entire range, it'll pull wide open in sixth gear from just 2000 rpm all the way to the limiter with zero trans- mission snatch. While you do feel an extra surge of midrange power above 4000 rpm, this in turn encourages you to use the clean-shifting gearbox to keep the engine pulling in the happy zone from there to 7000 revs. I couldn't, however, help notice the snatchy, unduly fierce pickup from a closed throttle in the bot- tom three gears, a problem the Ducati Scrambler has suffered from for the past two years which still hasn't been entirely cured on its Euro 4 variants. So after trail- braking into the apex of a tight second-gear turn, when you get back on the gas again the initial response from the Street Rod's EFI is so brusque that you risk missing the apex as you're propelled into places you didn't want to go. Pity. Likewise it's sometimes hard to avoid a jerky throttle response when inching along in traffic-choked streets. Since the Street doesn't suffer from this, it must presumably be a mapping issue, so hopefully Harley can get this fixed soon. Compromised riding posi- tion notwithstanding, the Street The Street Rod has plenty of stopping power. IT ALSO REQUIRES HARLEY- DAVIDSON DEALERS TO COME TO THE PARTY IN TERMS OF EMBRACING THE MOTOR COMPANY'S BRAVE NEW DIRECTION. right foot, as they say. Basically, to give the Street Rod remotely sufficient ground clearance, they've had to raise the bulky silencer up and park the footrest right on top of it, with a strange- looking heel guard affixed to the top of the silencer shroud. This made it hard for me to put my foot on the right peg while also covering the rear brake pedal, although the stylized intake duct between the cylinders, which looks like its previous gig was on a Pomona Raceway drag-racing funny car, didn't make friends even slightly with my knee. Because of this I ended up using the front brakes only, which was no hardship since these are as excellent in every way as the single front disc on the 489-pound Street 750 is inadequate. Despite its equally porky 504-pound dry weight they stopped the Rod brilliantly every time, whether in panic situations like when a decrepit- looking panel van cuts right in front of you at an intersection, or modulating the lever to keep up momentum through sweeping turns on the Ronda roads. Doing this is not a single-finger job,